31 Juicy Summer Tomato Recipes

By

Food & Wine Editors

Updated on February 26, 2023

Heirloom Tomato Toast — Photo: Con Poulos

Juicy tomatoes are at their peak in late summer, and whether you've grown your own or picked some up at the market, these recipes can help you make the most of them. Think no-cook sauces, tarts and pies, and plenty of fresh salads, too. Read on for those recipes and more tomato dishes we'll be making this season.

01 of 31

Beefsteak Tomato and Burrata Salad with Olive Streusel

Beefsteak Tomato and Burrata Salad with Olive Streusel — ABBY HOCKING

The crunchy, savory kalamata olive streusel that tops this salad from chefs Bryan and Michael Voltaggio is one of our new favorite condiments. Toss it in your next kale salad, sprinkle over roasted root vegetables, or use it to garnish steamed grains. If you can't find good beefsteak tomatoes for this dish, use the best greenhouse tomatoes you can get your hands on.

02 of 31

Kachumber Gazpacho

Kachumber Gazpacho — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

F&W Cooks contributor Hetal Vasavada channeled her love for kachumber, a fresh, cucumber-based Indian salad, to inspire this exciting riff on the classic chilled summery soup. Warm spices and a hint of chile add flavor and heat without overwhelming the fresh tomatoes; sev, a crispy chickpea noodle snack, adds a pleasant crunch.

03 of 31

Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Garlic in Olive Oil

Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Garlic in Olive Oil — © Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle

"New oil" olive oil — called olio novello or olio nuovo in Italian — is vibrantly green and incredibly fresh-tasting. Its pronounced flavors transform this simple recipe, which can be served as an antipasto or as a sauce with fish or chicken.

04 of 31

Creamy Polenta with Burst Cherry Tomato and Red Wine Ragout

Creamy Polenta with Burst Cherry Tomato and Red Wine Ragout — Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Laced with ribbons of hearty greens, chef Julia Sullivan's savory garden tomato ragout pops with bright flavor, the perfect accompaniment to a canvas of creamy polenta. The polenta is cooked with milk for a comforting vegetarian main. Garlic and basil punch up this modern classic; it's an easy addition to your weeknight rotation.

05 of 31

Spinach and Ricotta-Stuffed Tomatoes with Piquillo Peppers

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Tomatoes with Piquillo Peppers — MARTIN MORRELL

Chef Guillaume Delaune uses a melon baller to scoop out the insides of the tomatoes, leaving a sturdy shell to hold the spinach-cheese filling. The accompanying sauce is made from the scooped-out tomato seeds and juices.

06 of 31

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart

Tomato and Goat Cheese Tart — Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

This tart is the perfect way to take advantage of late-summer tomatoes. A variety of heirlooms will create a nice visual, but feel free to use any type of tomato here. Roasting the tomatoes before adding them to the tart dries them a bit, which concentrates their flavor and helps prevent the crust from getting soggy.

07 of 31

Tomatoes with Herbs and Almond Vinaigrette

Tomatoes with Herbs and Almond Vinaigrette — JOHN KERNICK

New York City chef Dan Kluger makes a deeply flavorful vinaigrette for summer's sweetest and juiciest tomatoes. Instead of dry-roasting almonds for his salad, Kluger toasts them in olive oil until they're crisp and golden, then uses the richly flavored oil to make a tangy dressing.

08 of 31

Spanish-Style Pasta Salad with Tuna and Marinated Tomatoes

Spanish-Style Pasta Salad with Tuna and Marinated Tomatoes — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell

Spanish pantry staples like mildly spicy and sweet piparra peppers and tangy sherry vinegar bring bold flavor to this hearty pasta salad from 2015 F&W Best New Chef Katie Button. "I love this pasta salad because it incorporates fresh summer ingredients, like tomatoes and herbs, with staples I already have on hand in the pantry," she says. "It's a perfect low-cook dish that you can make ahead in large batches and eat all week; it keeps getting better with time."

09 of 31

Green Tomatoes with Pistachio Relish

Green Tomatoes with Pistachio Relish — © Anna Williams

Relishes typically contain cooked and pickled vegetables; the one here is mouth-tinglingly tangy. Chef James Syhabout makes it by pickling shallots, capers, pistachios, and pink peppercorns overnight in Champagne vinegar and olive oil. It’s awesome on tomatoes, but he also likes using it on fish.

10 of 31

Tomato Lemonade

Tomato Lemonade — © Fredrika Stjärne

F&W editor Kat Kinsman is known for clever drinks like this lemonade. It's perfect on its own as a mocktail, but Kinsman recommends adding a shot or two of rye whisky to make the tomatoey drink "reminiscent of a wonderfully tipsy deli sandwich." Gin or vodka would be a great addition as well.

11 of 31

Fried Green Tomato BLTs

Fried Green Tomato BLTs — © Quentin Bacon

This is a brilliant marriage of two classics: cornmeal-dusted green tomatoes and a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

12 of 31

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette Recipe — © Christina Holmes

“Although we call it an anchovy vinaigrette,” says chef Amelia O’Reilly, “we like to keep the vinegar and anchovies separate until they’re on the plate; otherwise the anchovies taste pickled.” The dressing is a great way to add savory accents to summer’s sweetest, juiciest tomatoes.

13 of 31

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta

Honey-Tomato Bruschetta with Ricotta — © Quentin Bacon

In this amazing appetizer, two types of honey serve two distinct purposes: Mellow, slightly spicy clover honey intensifies the sweetness of the tangy tomatoes as they slowly roast. After the bruschetta is assembled, a drizzle of robust buckwheat honey balances the creamy ricotta cheese.

14 of 31

Fusilli with Summer Tomato Sauce

Fusilli with Summer Tomato Sauce — William Meppem

For this light, uncooked sauce, you must have perfectly ripe tomatoes. Be sure they're at room temperature, too, not cold. In fact, tomatoes shouldn't be refrigerated at all; chilling permanently reduces their flavor.

15 of 31

Cod with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Arborio Rice

Cod with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Arborio Rice — © John Kernick

A garlic-tomato sauce for cod gets Sicilian flavor from orange zest and saffron.

16 of 31

Yellow Squash all'Amatriciana with Pancetta and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Yellow Squash all'Amatriciana with Pancetta and Spicy Tomato Sauce — © Emily Farris

All'Amatriciana, a spicy Italian pasta sauce, is traditionally made with guanciale, salt-cured pork jowl. Pancetta is much easier to find and is a fantastic substitute, while thinly sliced yellow squash is a wonderful gluten-free alternative to semolina noodles.

17 of 31

Roasted Curry Tomato Pie

Roasted Curry Tomato Pie — Greg DuPree

Turmeric gives the rustic crust of this tomato pie a glorious golden glow, but the real stars (other than the ripe summer tomatoes) are the sweet and tangy tamarind onions, which complement the spiced, cheesy filling beautifully.

18 of 31

Quick-Cured Salmon Steaks with Grilled Tomatoes and Tzatziki

Quick-Cured Salmon Steaks with Grilled Tomatoes and Tzatziki Recipe — Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford

Salmon steaks are essentially two fillets attached by the spine of the fish. Less expensive and easier to grill than a fillet, these steaks are quickly cured in a brown sugar-based dry cure that’s also wonderful on fillets.

19 of 31

Summer Tomato Salad with Jicama and Avocado

Summer Tomato Salad with Jicama and Avocado Recipe — Aubrie Pick

Chef Traci des Jardins’ take on a classic, produce-forward summer salad features juicy tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, and lightly sweet slices of jicama. The simple lime dressing gets a hit of fresh, herbal brightness from plenty of cilantro leaves.

20 of 31

No-Cook Summer Tomato Sauce

No-Cook Summer Tomato Sauce — Abby Hocking / Food & Wine

This incredibly simple tomato sauce is chef Tony Mantuano’s secret weapon in the summer. He marinates peak-season tomatoes with olive oil, basil, and shallots before spooning the mixture over grilled fish or piling it on grilled bread. Tony also loves to toss the sauce with chopped fresh mozzarella, cooked pasta, and olive oil.

21 of 31

Canned Tomato Passata

Canned Tomatoes Recipe — Anthony Giglio

With a thick, rich consistency and only a bit of salt and basil to season, tomato passata brings a concentrated, fresh tomato flavor as the base of soups, stews, and spreads.

22 of 31

Gazpacho Salad

Gazpacho Salad Recipe — Photo by Tara Donne / Food Styling by Chris Lanier / Prop Styling by Raina Kattelson

This side dish from 1995 F&W Best New Chef Anne Quatrano celebrates the best of summer with a combination of chilled gazpacho and chunky, fresh vegetables. “It’s a perfect way to highlight all that is right about summer vegetables at their peak,” Quatrano says. “We utilize tomato scraps for a juicy vinaigrette, and all the bounty of the summer can be combined in a delicious salad.”

23 of 31

Seared Mackerel with Marinated Tomatoes

Seared Mackerel with Marinated Tomatoes — Jennifer Causey

Chef Julia Sedefdjian’s simple mackerel is briefly marinated, then seared and served over simply dressed ripe heirloom tomatoes. A white balsamic–spiked tomato vinaigrette provides the perfect sweet-tart counterpoint to the rich, robust flavor of the mackerel.

24 of 31

Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella with Grated Tomato Balsamic Vinaigrette

Tomato, Basil, and Cucumber Panzanella — Victor Protasio

This summer blockbuster panzanella from Samin Nosrat, author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, pairs oven-roasted sourdough croutons with juicy ripe tomatoes, raw red onion, and crisp cucumbers. Grated tomato adds a gentle acidity and chunky texture to the vinaigrette, helping it cling to every bite.

25 of 31

Heirloom Tomato and Pepper Toasts with Whipped Ricotta

Heirloom Tomato Toast — Con Poulos

Velvety smooth, lightly seasoned ricotta serves as the perfect base for juicy ripe tomatoes and charred peppers on grilled levain bread. Fennel pollen adds a light licorice flavor, while fresh basil, chives, and a hint of lemon juice add brightness to the smoky flavor from the grill.

26 of 31

Giant Summer Tomato Tart

Giant Summer Tomato Tart — Christopher Testani

In the height of summer, when tomatoes are at their most delicious, recipe developer Laura Rege showcases them in this simple, fresh tart. She layers and bakes phyllo with breadcrumbs to create an extra-crispy base, then spreads the crust with a mix of mayo and cream cheese before topping the tart with colorful, juicy, glorious tomatoes.

27 of 31

Gluten-Free Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried green Tomatoes — Caitlin Bensel

Naturally gluten-free, cornmeal is the classic (and perfect) coating for tart fried green tomatoes. Be mindful when shopping for cornmeal; many brands are actually cornmeal mixes, which include flour and leavening agents.

28 of 31

Grilled Okra, Corn, and Tomato Salad

Grilled Corn, Tomato and Okra Salad — Victor Protasio

This next-level summer salad turns heads with its punchy charred jalapeño and herb-spiked dressing and a palate-perking topping of toasted crunchy coriander and cumin seeds.

29 of 31

Buffalo Mozzarella with Neat and Messy Roasted Tomatoes

Buffalo Mozzarella with Neat and Messy Tomatoes — © Con Poulos

Cookbook author Rachel Roddy serves tomatoes roasted two ways for a range of delicious tomato flavor as well as a beautiful presentation.

30 of 31

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail with Fresh Tomato Cocktail Sauce

Grilled Shrimp Cocktail with Fresh Tomato Cocktail Sauce — Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman

Give shrimp cocktail a seasonal, smoky upgrade with this recipe, an ideal appetizer for summer dinner parties and cookouts. The shrimp are marinated in a bright, lemon-garlic mixture that gets a kick from crushed red pepper. The cocktail sauce echoes the lemony notes from the shrimp and features a combination of fresh tomato and smoked sun-dried tomatoes. A mix of harissa, sherry vinegar, and hot sauce gives the slightly chunky sauce a nice acidic balance.

31 of 31

Sheet-Pan Chicken with Zucchini and Garlicky Tomato Relish

Sheet Pan Chicken with Tomato Salsa Recipe — Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

This all-in-one dinner starts out minimalist — just chicken pieces, zucchini, and shallot chunks tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting. But as the chicken and vegetables brown beautifully in the oven, you make the most of your time, prepping an herb-packed, garlic-spiked cherry tomato relish. The final trick? Using that relish to deglaze the sheet pan after it comes out of the oven, blunting the bite of the vinegar and garlic and softening the tomatoes just enough to bloom all the flavors.

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